Spyro the Dragon

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Sony's latest platformer aims to prove that cute doesn't have to mean bad

By IGN Staff

Kept under utmost secrecy for months, Sypro the Dragon marks the second game from the team behind Disrupter, a little-known yet highly regarded first-person shooter from Universal Interactive. Taking a 180-degree departure from that game's dark corridors, Spyro is a colorful, lighthearted platformer. But that doesn't mean it's lacking serious gameplay.

Players assume the role of Spyro, a small purple dragon with some seriously deadly breath. It's this little guys goal to rescue his dragon friends - all 120 of them - spread out over a giant, free-roaming 3D world.

To aid in his quest, Spyro has several high-powered moves in his arsenal. Most important of these is his fiery breath, which flies in a three direction spread pattern. But he's also a athletic little guy; head-butts, rolls, and limited flying (gliding) are moves he'll use often.

Spyro's worlds are vast, and span all reaches of a medieval world, from rolling hills to castle courtyards to arid deserts. In these worlds, Spyro goes head-to-head against a myriad of enemies, each as animated as the little dragon himself, yet often many times his size.

The game makes use of numerous visual tricks - light-sourcing and transparencies included - to give each world its own unique look. And thanks to its proprietary 3D engine, Spyro's worlds and inhabitants boast an impressive amount of detail, not to mention a surprising lack of tearing and draw-in.

Its sights clearly set on delivering a large-scale, highly-playable 3D adventure, Universal Interactive may very well have a potential blockbuster in the making. Needless to say, we'll be following its development very closely.